Director Michael Haussman has signed with bicoastal HSI Productions for stateside commercial representation. He continues to maintain Serious Pictures, London, as his U.K. roost…. Director Ray Lawrence has come aboard bicoastal Bedford Falls for commercial representation. He was most recently with bicoastal Cohn+Company…. Director Henry Holtzman is joining BeachHouse Films, the Santa Monica shop headed by executive producers Patti and David Coulter, for exclusive spot representation….Bicoastal Tool of North America has signed up-and-coming director Jonnie Ross, whose Levi’s spec spot "The Jumps" made SHOOT’s "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery last September….New York post shop Nice Shoes has launched Guava, a visual effects and design division.…Director Jack Tinsley has joined Alphawolf Entertainment, Celebration, Fla.….Charlotte, N.C.-based production shop Blvd. Films has signed the directing team Mortimer Jones for spot work….Via recently launched bicoastal house Smuggler, director Ivan Zacharias is slated to work on Levi’s first American campaign from Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York. The job is scheduled to begin shooting next month. Smuggler, a satellite of bicoastal Villains, also plans to add a U.S.-based helmer in the coming weeks. The shop’s roster consists of Zacharias, Brian Beletic, Neil Harris, Martin Schmid, Laurence Hamburger, Goldigger and Ben Mor….Two companies with spotworld ties were affected by the powerful explosion in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood on Thurs., 4/25. The blast, which occurred at 121 W. 19th Street, injured over 50 people. New York-based production company Registered Films and animation shop Zander’s Animation Parlour both have office and studio space in the damaged building. Representatives from both companies say they are continuing full-scale operations from alternate locations, until the building is repaired….
London Critics Name “The Brutalist” The Film of the Year
The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s immigrant saga, won the Film of the Year prize at the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.
While The Brutalist garnered just one award, it was the marquee honor. Meanwhile Nickel Boys, Conclave and A Real Pain all receivd multiple awards, and Zoe Saldaña was honored twice.
Edward Berger’s Vatican thriller Conclave took two awards for British/Irish Film of the Year and Actor of the Year for Ralph Fiennes, while RaMell Ross’s radical Colson Whitehead adaptation Nickel Boys was recognized with Director of the Year and the Technical Achievement Award for Jomo Fray’s first-person cinematography. Jesse Eisenberg’s dark comedy A Real Pain was the night’s other multiple prizewinner, landing Screenwriter of the Year for the actor-filmmaker, and Supporting Actor of the Year for co-star Kieran Culkin.
Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai-set drama All We Imagine as Light was named Foreign Language Film of the Year, while the Palestinian-Israeli collective behind No Other Land took Documentary of the Year.
Alongside Conclave, British productions awarded by the Circle in the top categories included Mike Leigh’s intimate character study Hard Truths, which took Actress of the Year for Marianne Jean-Baptiste, while Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was named Animated Feature of the Year. In the British/Irish-specific categories, Saoirse Ronan won British/Irish Performer of the Year for her performances in The Outrun and Blitz, 14-year-old Nykiya Adams won Young British/Irish Performer of the Year for her screen debut in Andrea Arnold’s Bird, and Rich Peppiatt won the... Read More